Real-time three-dimensional stress echocardiography had an overall feasibility of 67%, which was significantly higher for pharmacological stress (80%) compared to exercise stress (51%).
Cross-Sectional (n=111)
Single-blind
No
Does real-time three-dimensional stress echocardiography provide feasible and reproducible evaluation of left ventricular function compared to 2D stress echocardiography in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease?
Real-time 3D stress echocardiography is feasible but more vulnerable to tachycardia and suboptimal image quality than 2D echocardiography, making pharmacological stress preferable to exercise for RT3D.
BACKGROUND: Real time three dimensional (RT3D) echocardiography is an accurate and reproducible method for assessing left ventricular shape and function. AIM: assess the feasibility and reproducibility of RT3D stress echocardiography (SE) (exercise and pharmacological) in the evaluation of left ventricular function compared to 2D. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred eleven patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease underwent 2D and RT3DSE. The agreement in WMSI, EDV, ESV measurements was made off-line.The feasibility of RT-3DSE was 67%. The inter-observer variability for WMSI by RT3D echo was higher during exercise and with suboptimal quality images (good: k = 0.88; bad: k = 0.69); and with high heart rate both for pharmacological (HR or = 100 bpm, k = 0.49) and exercise SE (HR or = 120 bpm, k = 0.78). The RT3D reproducibility was high for ESV volumes (0.3 +/- 14 ml; CI 95%: -27 to 27 ml; p = n.s.). CONCLUSIONS: RT3DSE is more vulnerable than 2D due to tachycardia, signal quality, patient decubitus and suboptimal resting image quality, making exercise RT3DSE less attractive than pharmacological stress.
Pratali et al. (2010) conducted a cross-sectional in Known or suspected coronary artery disease (n=111). Real-time three-dimensional (RT3D) stress echocardiography vs. 2D stress echocardiography was evaluated on Feasibility of RT3D stress echocardiography. Real-time three-dimensional stress echocardiography had an overall feasibility of 67%, which was significantly higher for pharmacological stress (80%) compared to exercise stress (51%).